164

Naturalization—What It Implies.

The people of foreign birth, to become citizens of the United States, must take out what are called "naturalization papers." The Constitution of the United States makes no other provision relative to naturalization than the power therein given to Congress "to establish a uniform rule of naturalization." But the framers of the Constitution could not, from the nature of the influences then existing, know how vast a tide of emigrants would pour into the country. Through the process of naturalization, a person of foreign birth becomes in fact and in deed a citizen of the United States, with no restrictions on account of his foreign birth, except that he cannot become President or Vice-President of the United States. The laws regarding naturalization, which have from time to time been enacted by Congress, provide that an alien or person of foreign birth may become a naturalized citizen, if he has declared, by oath or affirmation made before the Supreme, Superior, District, or Circuit Court of some State in which he has resided (and where he proposes still to reside) at least two years before the issuance of the necessary papers, that it was then his intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States, renouncing all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign power, prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and giving the name of the foreign power, prince, potentate,

state, or sovereignty of which he be, at the time of making the oath or affirmation, a subject or citizen. He cannot, when making application to become a naturalized citizen, become so if it appears that he has ever borne any hereditary title or been of any order of nobility, unless he agrees to renounce this objection. He must agree to support the Constitution of the United States, renouncing and abjuring forever all allegiance to any other country. He must also have resided in this country at least five years, and at least one year in the State or Territory where the court to which he applies is then sitting, and have conducted himself as a man of good moral character, attached to the prosperity of the Constitution of the United States, and disposed to the good order and consequent happiness of the Republic. This latter requisition must be made upon other evidence than his own oath or affirmation, and must be proven to the satisfaction of the court to which he applies. A person of foreign birth, and who is a minor in the sense of the laws of the United States, who has resided in the United States three years next preceding his arrival at the age of twenty-one years, and who has continued therein to reside to the time of making the application, may, after he becomes of the age of twentyone years, and has resided in the United States five years, including the years of his minority, become a citizen without making the declaration provided for under the conditions above set forth. At the time of his admission to citizenship, however, he must make the same oath or affirmation as he would have been required to make under the conditions detailed. A man of foreign birth, engaged as a sailor for three years in an American vessel, or a man of foreign birth who has served as a sol

dier in the regular or volunteer service of the United States, and been therefrom honorably discharged, after a residence of one year in the United States, and who is shown to be a person of good character, may become a citizen of the United States by taking the oath prescribed in the detail of conditions herein before specified. Every court of record in any State having common law jurisdiction and a seal and clerk, or prothonotary, is a District Court implied in the meaning of the naturalization laws.

It can thus readily be seen what naturalization implies, and how far the system may be abused by the over-plus of immigrants which have come and are still coming to find profitable labor and homes in our country. Ten millions of people from foreign countries are estimated to have come to this country in the space of ninety years. And they are still coming in largely increased ratio. In 1882 immigrants were received to the number of about 800,000, and it has been calculated upon reliable authorities that by the year 1900 more than 19,000,ooo persons born in foreign lands will have become citizens of the United States. Our advantages of soil, climate, freedom, and all other conditions, including the right of suffrage after a few years residence, are very attractive, and are bringing large numbers to our shores. What will be the results of such wholesale immigration as is now existing will largely depend upon wise and prudent legislation and an effective system of restriction, by requiring reasonable qualifications.

167

National Defense.

A country with ocean boundaries, themselves providing defense, scarcely needs a standing army or a naval force of any large number. This is the condition to-day of the United States. It has been proven by the late civil war how rapidly volunteer soldiers can be brought together in armies or navies in this country. A million of men could be put in the field, if need be, inside of a month, and a navy of effective armament be ready for service in a very brief time. The volunteer soldiery of America has shown how much superior it is to the regular army. Besides, the time is rapidly approaching when nations will no longer wage war, but settle their differences more in accord with civilized motives and

reasons.

The subject of national defense, as regards military protection in the United States, does not admit of the extended treatment given the many more important considerations touched upon in this work.

At the close of the civil war the volunteer army of the United States, numbering near 1,100,000 men, was quietly and quickly disbanded, and the regular army, which during the war had been augmented by over 50,000 men, has been reduced from time to time to its present standard of something like 30,000, who are principally engaged in garrison duty in the several forts and arsenals

of the country, in protecting the highways across the continent, and in keeping in order the Indian tribes of the far West. This is a small standing army as compared with that of almost any foreign power. Great Britain supports a standing army on a peace-footing of 133,720, and on a war-footing, of 370,561; the standing army on a peace-footing in France numbers 470,600, and on a warfooting, 1,750,000; and in Russia, on a peace-footing, 787,000, and on a war-footing, 1,671,674. That of the United States in an emergency has been estimated at considerably over 3,000,000 men. What are far more important than the army and navy to preserve our national integrity and independence are a more consistent and equable system of taxation than that now in force, and a less rapid running to monopolies and trusts of American capital.